1.6 Mechanical Mixtures and Solutions
• two types of mixtures:
1. mechanical mixtures
2. solutions
Mechanical Mixture
• mechanical mixture: a mixture with different parts
you can see.
Also called heterogeneous mixture.
• examples: egg omelette, granola bar, raisin bran
muffin
Solutions
• solution: a mixture that looks the same throughout
(it’s uniform). It looks like a pure substance (but it’s
not). Sometimes called homogeneous mixture
• examples: steel, sea water, bottled / tap water,
apple juice, air
• can be solid, liquid, or gas but in any solution you
can only see one state. In a mechanical mixture, you
might see more than one state .
(example: sand in water)
Note: all liquid and gas solutions are transparent
(see-through); solids do not need to be see-through
Particles of Mixtures
different kinds of particles are
mixed together evenly
different kinds of particles
are not mixed evenly - they
stay grouped together
Classifying Matter
matter
pure substances
mixtures
mechanical
mixtures
solutions
All matter can be classified as either a pure substance or a
mixture, which can then be classified either as a
mechanical mixture or a solution.